Whether you’re a fan of Nintendo’s White Wonder, or their dual-screen portable, The House That Mario built is going to have something that will help you keep your mind off those books this semester. From taking Mario back to 2D (where he belongs), helping you stay in shape, or exploring Bowser’s insides, Nintendo’s making sure there’s going to be many mornings of wake-n-Wii before you hit the cafe. If you had any studying to do this semester, Nintendo is there to make sure that you balance that learning with a healthy dose of video gaming. Check out the best of their first-party publishing lineup for the Fall Semester.
Mario and Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story
Platform: DS
Release Date: 9/14/09
Bowser finally gets a chance to star in his own game … well, kinda. The King of the Koopas is the main setting for the “Mario and Luigi: Bower’s Inside Story” since the plumber bros. (along with most of the Mushroom Kingdom) get sucked up inside their worst enemy, where they have to control him, without his knowledge, in order to escape. “Bowser’s Inside Story” continues the Mario Bros. RPG franchise, and it will have you laughing out loud while you’re leveling up. Besides, they’re the only game on this list that provides you with back-to-school supplies. See More At GameTrailers
You, Me, and the Cubes
Platform: WiiWare
Release Date: 9/21/09
There’s no real way to explain You, Me, and the Cubes other than saying “you have to try this,” and then handing you a Wiimote, but it’s worth a shot. Basically, you create humanoid characters called Fallos inside your Wii’s remotes by shaking in, and then shooting them, two at a time, at cubes that are on your screen. As they land, the cube will react to their weight, and possible tilt too far over. The object of the game is to try to keep as many Fallos on your cubes before the timer runs out. It’s simple to learn, but difficult to master, you know… like accounting. See More At GameTrailers
Wii Fit Plus
Platform: Wii
Release Date: 10/4/09
Are you hitting the cafe a little too hard this semester, and unintentionally working your way towards that Freshmen 15 you’ve heard so much about? Well, instead of walking all the way over to the gym, bring the gym to you with “Wii Fit Plus.” It’s got everything from the original “Wii Fit” that you bought when it first came out, but there’s a whole mess of a additional exercises, games, and other features that will help you actually stick to playing it this time. So, hopefully, you won’t be shoving that balance board under your bed and forgetting about it, again. See More At GameTrailers
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Platform: Wii
Release Date: 11/15/09
“Super Mario Galaxy” was a great game, but if you prefer something a little more on the simpler, more classic, perhaps on the 2D side, then “New Super Mario Bros. Wii” is perfect for you. It takes the same style and gameplay from the DS’ “New Super Mario Bros.,” brings it to the Wii, and makes it a quasi-competitive co-op multiplayer game. So, now, Mario and Luigi can suck time from you and three of your friends, meaning you shouldn’t feel too guilty about trying to beat just one more level if your friends are doing it too. Oh, the joys of peer pressure. See More At GameTrailers
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
Platform: DS
Release Date: 12/7/09
Taking place 100 years after Zelda’s last DS outing in The Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks takes Link to the rails, instead of the high seas. It has a very similar gameplay style as its predecessor, except in this one you get some assistance from a mysterious phantom knight that you tell what to do, and where to go. It’s kind of like having a video game version of that kid that won’t leave you alone because he wants to hang out, and just tell him what to do to mess with him, and he does it. (If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you’re probably that kid.) As an added bonus, you get to blow the whistle while you’re driving the train, and you know you’ve always wanted to do that. See More At GameTrailers
Cave Story
Platform: WiiWare
Release Date: Before the end of 2009
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there were video games that didn’t have high-definition graphics, or realistic sound effects… all we had were pixels and sprites to keep us entertained. Cave Story epitomizes the theory that you don’t need to feel like you’re playing a game in the real world to be a “good” game. You wake up in a mysterious 8-bit cave, full of rabbit-type people called Mimigas, and you set off on a journey to save one of them, Sue, and free the village from the persecution of The Doctor. I know, it sounds like something that stoner in your creative writing class came up with, but it’s better than that, I promise. See More At GameTrailers
